A Midnight Clear
by A.E. Hall
Summary: In response to Seducing Reason's Christmas Time challenge. Zach's been driven to the limits by an untimely loss. Will he be able to find the hope of Christmas once again? ONESHOT. WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH


Zach threw back his head and guzzled down the meager contents of the plastic cup. He had managed to scrounge up the only alcoholic drink in the house, the remaining bit of spiked Christmas punch. Layla sure was a stickler for no alcohol around kids; you'd think she'd just stop having children. He smiled at the unspoken joke as the Stronghold twins ran past his feet, red hair, like their mother's blazing in the room. If Layla was a mind-reader she would have slapped him. Instead she smiled at the wiles of her children.

"Children," Zach said under his breath and crushed the empty cup in his hand. Will looked up from the couch across the room and smiled at his friend. There was concern in his eyes.

Zach rolled his own blue orbs and walked over to sit in the chair by the living Christmas tree. The plant was actually rooted in a large container of soil, grown to specifications by its chlorokinetic mistress. It smelled as good as it looked. Zach tried not to think of his own living room, undecorated, dead…his house a tomb to encase him for all eternity. He tried to smile as Will told some stupid joke. Ethan laughed hysterically as Warren came out of the kitchen still dressed in his superhero garb, only to be tackled by the boys. He had been the smart one.

Out of all of them, Warren had been the one to ignore his emotions and marry his career instead. Ethan had avoided the line of duty and started a computer company. Will had lucked out with Layla but Zach had been the fool. He and Maj had married only a few years out of high school. It hadn't been a bad choice at the time; they loved each other despite appearances and fought crime, when they were able, side by side. Sure there had been arguments, she'd thrown the toaster at him that one time… Then would come the news that she was pregnant. Zach could still remember how incredibly happy she'd been. Oh she'd try to hide it behind indifference, but he'd seen her stroke her bulging stomach and smile when she thought he wasn't looking.

The fair-skinned man ran his hand through his light hair as Warren sat nearby. He was looking at Zach the same way Will had, but of course the pyro actually said something, his bluntness refreshing, "So, Zach," he didn't use any demeaning nicknames surprisingly, "How's…"

"She's fine!" Zach answered gruffly standing up out of pure need to be away from these people. Layla had such a look of kindness in her eyes and it stifled him, "I'm sorry guys but I'm not up to it tonight…I've got to get out of here," he left through the door after ruffling the blazing hair of his adopted nephews.

The twins stood at the door and one turned to his mother with a small, understanding voice, "Wouldn't Christmas be nice again, mama?"

Layla didn't bother correcting her son's grammar, "Yeah, it'll be nice again some day," inside she didn't feel so sure.

Outside his heart calmed, the blood stopped pumping wildly. Here was tranquility. Sparkling blankets of fresh snow covered every rooftop, every sidewalk, and every lawn. Zach wished that snow could as easily cover his pain. Was it so obvious to them that they were afraid to talk to him about it? Couldn't they see how he needed normalcy? Ever since she had died, crushed in guinea pig form under the boot of that villain!

Such fury had filled him; even now a mere echo of it caused him to slam his car door with a vengeance. Oh yeah, then the Strongholds had come, blazing in glory, stopping the bad guys with an ease that infuriated him. It hadn't been their fault, but just to see how weak he really was.

The key turned easily in the ignition of the car and he pulled onto the road. Speeding as much as he dared towards his nightly vigil at the hospital, where she was. How could he have let her fight, pregnant? But there was no going back now, they had tried to save her, but even after she had changed back it was obvious that there was nothing to be done. That bastard had crushed her spinal cord. The baby was taken alive, but dreadfully premature. Maj had died in a hospital bed only a week ago and they wanted him to act normal? To be the one who told jokes or was the butt of their jokes? He'd never be the life of the party again, of this he was sure.

Sure he'd played that role easily enough back in high school but now it was different.

The brooding man entered the hospital and found the appropriate room. This was his place for now, beside his daughter, who was hanging onto life by a thread. This too had made him think about how weak he really was, super powers and nothing to show for it. He couldn't help her survive any more than he had been able to save Magenta. He donned the cap and clothes that the nurse handed to him and entered the room, listening to the soft whir of the equipment that kept the little baby alive.

Zach slipped his hand into the plastic container that kept his child and let her grasp his protected finger; he wasn't even allowed to touch her flesh to flesh. Damn it, he'd never even touched their child! The thought made him tired, he let his head sink to rest on his other arm as her tiny fingers grasped at the gloved digit that was as long as her whole torso.

A nurse entered the room and turned on a radio in the background. They were playing soft carols for Christmas Eve. Zach zoned off, at peace with the words of the song and the grip of his daughter.

_The First Noel, the Angels did say  
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay  
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep  
On a cold winter's night that was so deep.  
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel  
Born is the King of Israel!_

Zach woke suddenly to his daughter pulling at his finger vigorously. He hadn't seen her show such strength in a long time and it gave him hope. He looked at his watch through the semi-see-through material of the plastic and saw it was a little past midnight. "Merry Christmas," he whispered from behind his hygienic mask, "Little Noel."

The baby breathed in and out and closed her narrow eyes, dark eyes falling beneath darker eyelashes. Outside the church bells were ringing in the hour and discreetly snow began to fall again. Maybe he was wrong…as long as this one could hold on, couldn't he?


End file.
